The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-09-17
vOLUNrEER VICTORIOUS.
She VIII Defend the Cup Against
the Thistle,

VOLUNTEERS VICTORIOUS.
she VIII Defend the Cup Against
the Thistle.
NEW YORK, September 16.-The
third attempt to have a tial to
choose the ablest yacht as the
defender Of the Americas Cup
against the Scotch yacht Thistle
resulted In one Of the finest contests
ever seen In theee waters. There was
a strong wind blowing from the north
to northwest all day. 1t reached a
velocity Of thirty miles an hour
Aided to the splendid condition OF
the elements was the splendid iudg-
ment OF the committee, who decided
after the yachts got underway that q
triangular race should be sailed. That
decision gave the 60 ,testsnts course
Of thirty. eight miles 10 sail over, with
the wind on every hand. They had
a run to leeward oil ten miles, a stretch
OF nine miles and return, ard heat for
home OF ten miles. At every turn aud
every weather, except during the q ret
part Of the run to heward, when the
Msyhow ,r sal cd better than the Vol
unteer, the latter beat her opponent.
The outcome o, the days race was
that the Volunteer was chosen by
the Americas Cup Committee, who
judged the event from the flagship
L ectrs, to meet the Thistle in the In
ternational contest. The Thistle was
out, too, but her handling was Of euch
a kind during the frat hall OF the race
as to give NO idea Of what she could
do. After thst the Scotch yacht was
evidently sailed for all she was worth
with q foul bottom, and, under the
conditions, was outsailed by both the
Mayflower and Volunteer. The OF.
fetal table Of figures made by the
judged was az follows:
Start. Finish. Time.
Volunteer. -.1l.ll;I S.2rte is t2Qagl-5
MAY aower...ll,HilS S6l;A&6 <,S6;5l as
The yachts started with q twenty
FIVE miles bretzs over their sterns, the
Volunteer having nearly q mile the
best Of II. For short tins the May
flower decreased the lead, but on get
ting her spinnaker out Of the wind,
and later having her balloon jib top
sail split from foot TO leach, she lost
ground, and siterward fell behind.
The Thistle was q mile away on the
course when the others made the
start. She had on only ito besides
her main sail at fret, tut after time
ran out her spinnaker and q working
top sail. From the time that the
Thistle put out her spinuaker, Just az
the Volunteer passed her, she was
practically In the race. Whether or
not she was always sailed for what she
Was worth Ia very wide question.
On the first run the Volunteer beat
the other two easily. The yachts
rounded the tug Haivland, which
formed the first etake, 81: Volunteer,
l2;l7:43; Msyh)wer, l2:20:J7; THIS.
tie, ~ 30: 80. Then the contestants,
following the signal shown on the
Electra, came up close into the wind
and stretched over toward the New
Jersey shore, 10 round the Electra Of
Asbury park. On this reach the This
tie hauled down her topsail and
housed her topmasts. The Mayhower
pulled down her CLUB topeails, but the
Volunteer held her big topsail aloit.
The Volunteer went steadily ahead
Of the other boats and headed about
for the Haivlsnd at l2:l7:43, while
the Miyfowr took until l2:20:07
! ind the Thistle l:0S.
, On the return to the Hswland Their,
was q pretty good chance TO see wha
the Thistle could do with the May
flower II she were sincerely sailed, n
she seemed to be. Both vessels haC
, their topmasts housed and both W N
, ealing under maiusail, fore siaysai
and jib. The Mayhower plainly die
the better work OF the two, as the tim,
OF rounding the Ha Elabd buoy for the
second time shows. The Volunteer
retained q topsail aud, whether tina
WAS the cause or not, she left the May
! a wer and Thistle astern 40 though
,, she has some other business than II
their company. The Hswland buol
, was rounded tue Gecoad time in thi
tins: Volunteer, l;50:32; May Il iwer
l:56:l8; Thistle, l:b7:l3. Away
before this tie Volunteer hsd on
n pointed and out footed both Nay
d ,wer and Thistle. Tneie was NJ
doubt about II, The signs showe'
3 with unmistAbAble plainnees. But !
a she beat them In running and reach
/, ing, her beating for home showed tina
!. she WIS even better at that sort Q
4 business than nything she had don
! before. At laying into the wind an
J. going through the water at the cam
/, tine, with q wind 90 strong that sh
/, could not carry q club tail, the Vo
4 untter left her sitter and her thir
cousin 70 far In the rear that th
Judges determined there was no nee
!. Of another race 10 d d out who shoul
II NEE; the Thistle In the match oil N
I" year, and picked her out In the
minds before two tacks had bee
made, aud everybody said they wei
right. There was nothing Of the ope
4 question about IL. The Volunteer d
- by far The best work. The Thlstl
!, being outpoinled and generally ru
= away from by the MAY flower, oil
"a stuck pluckily 10 the course she hs
4, started In on, and finished 2 minut,
m 80 l.6 seconds alter the May 1--WE
|. Every racer got q grand salute iro
y the excursion bosts and the stea
a yachts, Atlanta, Stranger, Hind
J. Oneida and several Others that We
=, present n the finish.
~ Tho Volunteers victory was
- 10 minutes and 2 35 seconds over u
" MyflDwer. As the victor vas bell
m towed up the bay by the press boI
~ the Thistle sailed by and her Gro
n. gave three cheers 10 the champion
~. the day, which were cordially
sponded 10 by the Volunteer poop
After the yachts came TO an anch
"a Bayhdge, Chairman Smith, OF =
re Americas cup committee, noiih